mething for the judge."

"He is up there," answered Claudia evasively.

"Well, do pray tell him, my dear Miss Merlin, if you please, that I want
to see him as soon as he can possibly get home. Oh! I beg your pardon a
thousand times for taking the liberty of asking you, miss."

"I will tell him," said Claudia, smiling and retiring.

When Miss Merlin had gone Hannah stooped and contemplated her own two
children with a mother's insatiable pride and love. Suddenly she burst
into penitential tears and wept.

Why?

She was gazing upon her own two fine, healthy, handsome babies, that
were so much admired, so well beloved, and so tenderly cared for; and
she was remembering little Ishmael in his poor orphaned infancy--so
pale, thin, and sickly, so disliked, avoided, and neglected! At this
remembrance her penitent heart melted in remorseful tenderness. The
advent of her own children had shown to Hannah by retrospective action
all the cruelty and hardness of heart she had once felt and shown
towards Ishmael.

"But I will make it all up to him--poor, dear boy! I will make it all up
to him in the future! Oh, how hard my heart was towards him! as if he
could have helped being born, poor fellow! How badly I treated him!
Suppose now, as a punishment for my sin, I was to die and leave my babes
to be despised, neglected, and wished dead by them as had the care of
'em! How would I feel? although my children are so much healthier and
stronger, and better able to bear neglect than ever Ishmael was, poor,
poor fellow! It is a wonder he ever lived through it all. Surely, only
God sustained him, for he was bereft of nearly all human help. Oh, Nora!
Nora! I never did my duty to your boy; but I will do it now, if God will
only forgive and spare me for the work!" concluded Hannah, as she raised
both her own children to her lap.

Meanwhile, attended by her maid, Miss Merlin went on her way homeward.
She reached Tanglewood in time for dinner, at six o'clock.

At table the judge said to her:

"Well, Claudia! the doctor has been here on his evening visit, and he
says that you may see our young patient in the morning, after he has had
his breakfast; but that no visitor must be admitted to his chamber at
any later hour of the day."

"Very well, papa. I hope you will give old Katie to understand that, so
she may not give me any trouble when I apply at the door," smiled
Claudia.

"Katie understands it all, my dear," said the judge.

And